Inter-species Adoption: A Cat-People Story
by deathraptor22
Summary: Sam and Dean are Cat-People, a race of human-feline hybrids. When they are kidnapped and taken to the human world, they encountered the Harvelle-Bradburys a couple taking an-unusual route to adopting a child. Better than the summery makes it sounds. Weechesters. Jo/Charlie
1. Taken

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Supernatural.**_ **Anything you recognize, just assume it doesn't belong to me.**

Dean was couched on the ground creeping up on unsuspecting little brother, who was playing with a bug in the grass. Dean pounced, landing on the little boy and the pair began to struggle. Somewhere in the struggle Sam got the upper hand, bouncing on his brother's chest in victory.

Sam and Dean were cat people, a race of creatures that were the result of genetic fiddling in a lab. What kind of lab and why they were trying to make human mountain lion hybrids in the first place no one is sure, as no one wanted to own up to it after the first ones appeared the mid-1980s. They had the intelligence and body of a human, but the superior of reflexes and senses of a wild cat, as well as a wild cat's tail and ears.

Like most cat children, Sam and Dean's play was practice for when they got older, when they had to hunt for themselves, however, that didn't mean Dean couldn't let Sam win every once in a while, especially since he was so little.

"Uh," Dean groaned in mock defeat, "You got me. I'm dead." Dean stuck his tongue out and closed his eyes.

Sam giggled nudging his brother.

Noticing how late it was getting Dean said, "Come on Sam. We should probably be getting back to the cave before Mom freaks out."

"Okay," Sam said reluctantly, sliding off Dean.

The boys stood upright and started the way back to the pack. Sam ran a little bit ahead of Dean. After a few steps, the younger boy felt something strange under his feat them suddenly he and Dean were jolted into the air, their world farmed in white cable.

"Help!" Sam cried out as he and Dean struggled to get out of the net.

"Somebody help us!" Dean shouted.

"Mommy!" Sam called, "Dad!"

"Anybody please!" Dean added.

Suddenly there was a rustling through the trees and the boys felt a glimmer of hope that turned to terror when a group of four humans appeared.

Cat people did not have the same rights as humans, so any injured ones found by humans were eventually given the custody of zoos, and poachers would often set up traps like the ones the brothers now found themselves in, to capture cat people to sell as exotic pets. This was the species main reason for living out in the wilds.

"Well, lookie here." The leader of the group, an older bald man said, walking over to the net, "I'd say we can get a thousand bucks each, don't you think?"

"Yeah," The only female in the group, a girl with young dark hair and similar features to the leader, spoke up, "I'd say that's about right."

"When I get the net down, be ready to grab 'em." The leader instructed, starting to undo the net.

A few second later the net fell, causing the startled captives to scream. Instantly two pairs of hands roughly grabbed Dean's wrist, pulling him off the ground, while the woman scoped up a squalling Sam.

"No!" Dean shouted, struggling against their captors, "No! Let us go!"

"Can you shut them up?" The leader demanded.

Suddenly Dean felt a prick on the back of his neck and he started to feel drowsy. Soon everything went black.

As Dean came to, the first sound he was aware of was the sound of someone weeping. He opened his eyes, and saw Sam huddled up next to him, tears streaming down his face. Dean sat up looking around and saw their world was surrounded by gray bars. Only it wasn't their world anymore. The ground beneath the strange contraption that held them was gray, and they were surrounded by strange boxes in all kind of colors some of them connected to other boxes, some them with metal bars on top, like the one that held them. He looked around and saw the group that had captured them talking to another man in dressed in black, who handed them strange green leaves. As Dean grabbed his brother, he didn't understand a lot, but he knew one thing or certain.

They were truly lost.


	2. Scared And Alone

A few seconds later the dark-clothed man and a man dressed in grey approached the box holding them.

Dean put himself in front of Sam, crawling up to side of the box as they pasted. "Where are we?" He demanded of the men in a weak bravado, "Why did you bring us here?"

Both men turned to look at the children, the dark-clothed man wearing a look of annoyance. "Bugger," He cursed, "This is going to make for a long ride. Is it too soon to give them another jab?"

"It'll be close boss, but I don't think it'll hurt 'em." The man in gray replied, before going into a different part of the box. He came back up with a small orange-and white box, holding it by a handle. He opened it, taking out a long translucence tube with something thing and sliver on the end, and small jar of clear liquid. Dean didn't know you can make jars that small. "What's that?" He asked, his voice trembling a little.

"It's just a little something to make you sleep." The man answered, watching the tube fill up with the liquid.

"Ripley," The dark-clothed man warned.

"It's alright, sir," Ripley assure the man, "Sometimes if they know what's going on they're a bit more cooperative." Then he walked over to the bars with the tube, sticking his hand in. "Come here, little one."

Dean did the exact opposite, taking a few steps back, and grabbing Sam's hand.

"It's alright, I won't hurt you. "Ripley said, reaching his free hand further going for Dean's arm.

"Leave us alone!" Dean bared his fangs trying to look intimidating, but he was just about as scary as an actual kitten.

"Enough of this." Dark-clothed man snapped opening up the door, and reaching in, grabbing onto Dean's arm. Dean responded by biting down into it.

The man screamed, backing up. Dean an opportunity and ran for the opening, dragging Sam behind him. They leapt out of the doorway, landing on the ground. They didn't far however, as there were an angry hands grabbing for them, meeting them at each angle they turned. Suddenly Sam felt something tightening around his neck and he was pulled away from the fracas. "Dean!" He shouted, trying to pull back, but the man at the other end of the poll was just too strong. Ripley ran over to them and grabbed Sam's arms, pulling back the pelt covering it and injected him.

"No!" Dean said, trying to run towards them, only for someone's arms to grab him. Then Ripley walked over then, kneeling down with another tube.

"Please." Dean whimpered, "Just let us go."

Ripley looked remorseful, but plunged the tube into Dean's neck anyway.

This time when Dean woke up he could feel something cold at his back. He opened his eyes and found he was in another strange place. It smelled strange, a sharp sent that Dean never smelt before, and was made of up four white walls, with no openings. On one wall, there was a block of the bared boxes, one of which contained Sam. On another wall, there was a brown rectangle with a shiny yellow thing that reminded Dean of a mushroom. The rectangle was cracked a bit and Dean could see there was something outside it. Maybe it if he could get it opened they could escape.

Dean sat up and realized he was on a cold feeling gray bar. He was about to get up, when the triangle opened, and dark-haired woman in a long white robe thing stepped in looking surprised when she saw Dean. "Oh," She said, "I didn't think you would be up yet."

"Who are you?" Dean asked, his eyes franticly moving around, "What is this place?"

"I'm Dr. Cartwright." The woman said, approaching him, "I'm what we called a Veterinarian. It's my job to make sure you're healthy."

Dean scooted back on the bar, trying to get away from the woman, Dr. Cartwright, until he felt himself leaning off the edge and falling through the air. He let out a scream then he felt hands grasp around him, pulling him upright. As he was guided up he would here his brother's voice calling out, "Dean!"

When Dr. Cartwright pulled him up, he could see Sam staring out from the box, his brown eyes wide and fearful. "I got him." Dr. Cartwright said, glancing in-between them, "I got you. Now, I know you must have a lot of questions, but I don't have that much time, so those are going to have to wait."

Thinking the woman might give them answers when she finished, Dean allowed her to prod at his skin, shine an uncomfortably bright light in his eye, listen to his heartbeat with cold metal circle, open his month and put on stick on his tongue, even putting her hand in his mouth and feeling his teeth. However, she didn't offer any answers, walking over to Sam and opening the box. She scooped the little boy up in her arms and he burst into tears.

"There, there." Dr. Cartwright tried, moving the little boy closer to her body and gently bouncing him. It was days like today when she really hated her job. Continuing to bounce him, she carried him over to the slab and sit him down next to Dean who immediately took his brother into a tight embrace.

They were allowed to stay that way for a few minutes, when suddenly there was a knock from the other side of the rectangle. "Dr. Cartwright," A woman's voice called out, "Dr. Cartwright, are they ready yet?"

"Just a few more minutes." Dr. Cartwright called out, "I'm still checking the little one." Then she addressed the boys in a hushed tone, "Okay, I'm sorry, but I need to do this now."

Dean moved away from Sam, but Dr. Cartwright allowed him to hold Sam's hand through everything, then she called out, "We're done now, Nancy, you can come in."

The rectangle opened, revealing a pretty young woman with tan skin and black hair pulled back behind her. Like all the humans they have met so far, her clothing was radically different from the simple pelts Sam and Dean were wearing. In the case of the girl there was some sort of blue cloth wrapped around her legs, and neatly cut pink cloth on her upper half. There was a thing strap of the pink cloth in her hair as well.

"Mr. Crowley will be happy to know that they're both in fine health." Dr. Cartwright said, helping the boys down from the slab.

In spite of the statement, Nancy seemed anxious. "Is it really a good idea to have them...out like this, especially without handlers?"

"Nancy, they're kids." Dr. Cartwright replied, "I don't think they're that much of threat."

"If you say so." Nancy said, moving towards Dean with a brown circle with a long strap attached to it.

 _You're new._ The vet thought to herself, _you'll learn._

Dean backed away, over to feel a hand on his back. "I'm sorry." Dr. Cartwright said, pushing him back towards Nancy, "But this is how it has to be."

Dean no choice but to let Nancy snap the circle around his neck. Sam, too scared to move, did the same, starting to tear up again.

Nancy lead them down a long hall into another area, this one with a big, white hollowed out oval in the middle filled with water. They were made to discard the pelts they had been wearing at the time of their capture and get in the oval.

According to Nancy this was a bath, but it was not like the ones the boys took at home. The water was hot and tasted wrong. Stale. And they had to cover their body with this bar that smelled like flowers. At least Dean had been allowed to do that himself, and help Sam do the same. At least the bar was better than the noxious-smelling goo they had to put in their hair. It stung their eyes and made them water.

After getting out and drying off, they were made to put on bottoms of black cloth. By the time all that was done there was knock at the rectangle. "Come in." Nancy offered, "I'm just finishing them up."

The rectangle opened, and three men dressed in gray came in, bringing with them two orange racks the likes of which the boys had never seen before, small bar boxes on each.

"Woe, guys, what's with all the hardware?" Nancy asked, her eyes widening.

Suddenly the boys were lifted into the air as one of the men replied, "Crowley needs him out in the truck, he's taking them for the Gracepoint run."

The boys tried to fight them off, kicking and snatching, snarling and even biting, but it wasn't much of a battle because they're greater height and stench, and they soon found themselves plopped inside the boxes, the doors shutting with a horrifying _clang._ They then were wheeled out of the room, down the hall.

"Where are you taking us?" Dean asked, "What's the Gracepoint run?"

Sam, on the other hand, had broken down into tears to the point where anything he said would've been indecipherable, though at one-point Dean thought he pleaded for their mother.

Dean tried to reach out and take Sam's hand again, but he was just far enough away to be out of reach. One of their captors reached down and spat Dean's arm, demanding, "Get that back in there."

When they excited the place, they were in an open field. In the middle of the field was a gray long box on top of which was a shiny white box with holes in it. Though the holes they could see there were more bared boxes in the white box, with cat people inside them.

The men brought them to a whole in the white box and loaded the them in next to and across from grown-up cat people. "What is this place?" Dean tried again, as the flaps of the box closed, "Why are we all here? Please, talk to us!"

"You're wasting you breathe, little one." The cat-woman across from them said. She was in her late teens or early twenties with long blonde hair, with matching ears and tails, and large brown eyes. She was dressed in the same black cloth they were, except hers went up to her chest preserving her modesty. "They won't answer you."

Dean thought maybe this woman might be answer him. "Where are we? Where are they taking us?" Suddenly there was a loud _boom,_ and the box started to move.

"What's happening?" Sam managed to call out through his tears.

"Okay, kids," The young woman began, "Where are you two from? Are you from the forests?"

Dean nodded.

"Well, what did your parents tell about humans?" The woman asked. That was as good a place to start as any.

"That we had to stay away from them." Dean replied, "That we could never let them find out where we were, or they would take us away."

"Well," The woman began, "This is what happens when they take you away. They either put you in this place called a zoo, or they sell you as a pet. That's where we're heading."

Dean just stared in her. He had no idea what any of those words meant.

"How do I explain this to you?" The woman wondered aloud, then she took a moment to think. At last she said, "A pet is an animal that can't think like them, can't reason, so the humans use them as companions. A lot of times it can be mutually beneficial."

"B-but, we think like humans." Dean responded. He didn't want to be someone's pet.

"Tell that to them. "The woman said bitterly, slumping back in her box.

"How do you know all this?" Another boy, younger than her, but older than Dean, spoke up.

"I'm not wild-caught like you." The woman explained, "I was born in the human world, and I've been a pet my whole life."

They endured the rest of the journey in near silent save for the noise around them of the others banging against the bars, calling out for help, or crying. That included Sam, who had curled up in the fetal position, crying his eyes out. Dean reached out and stroked his side, trying to comfort him, but it was no use for either of them.

After what felt like ages the box stopped and the flaps opened, letting in the sunlight. However, it soon blocked by several men dressed in gray. Two of them grabbed onto the blonde woman's box, and lifted it on the orange device. Then two more did the same with Dean's cage, to his horror dragging him away from his brother.

"No!" He screamed, dragging onto the bars of the box, "Sam!"

"Dean!" Sam wailed back, as his own box was being lifted in to the air, "Dean, come back! Come back! Please, come-"

Suddenly one of the men slammed his hand up against the box, shouting, "Shut up!"

"Hey, take it easy," The other man said, taking the device at its handles, "He's just a little kid."

"He's an animal." His partner retorted, "You think the boss is going to be happy with him going on like that?"

"Look, just let me handle this okay?" Sam's defender said, walking off with him.

By that point Sam had curled up in the corner whimpering to himself, "W-Wanna go home."

The place they went into was much larger than the other one, filled with humans and animals the likes of which the boys had never seen before. They were all the basic shape, but there were different sizes and colors, some sleek black, others tan, or orange with black spots, or tan and covered with dots.

At the spot where they were taking all the cat-people, the man in the black clothes were directing where to place them. "Put him over there with the others kittens." He told Sam's keeper, pointing to a line of cat-children, including Dean. The man wheeled Sam over to the line, putting him down beside his brother with great care.

Dean's head shot up. "Sam?" He asked, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

They were forced to watch as people came up, looking over the others, and sometimes, them. Had to watch as their fellow captives where hulled off, including the young woman that had told them what this was. With each human that approached their terror grew.

And then a woman with soft blonde hair knelt down next to Sam's box, whispering, "Hey."


	3. The Rescuers

"I'm not so sure about this." Jo said, looking around the convention center where people were buying and selling large cats, eyeing someone holding a tiger cub in their bare hands.

Of course, they were there for something a little different.

"I mean, what we're about to do goes against everything I believe in, everything you believe in." She reminded her wife, Charlie, who was standing next to her, looking as uncomfortable as Jo felt. While Jo was all for equality, she wasn't what you'd call an activist, Charlie, on the other hand, _was_ , it was one of the things Jo loved about her, that she couldn't do anything with halfher heart. And yet, here they both were, about to purchase an intelligent, semi-human being like so much merchandise.

"I know, but I'm willing to hold my noise and do this if it means we can start a family." Charlie explained, "It's my fault we can't adopt through normal channels, after all."

Charlie's spotty past with the law, despite the fact that it wasn't violent meant no adoption agency would let them have a child. She had tried to use her hacking skills to cover it up, but that had only raised more eyebrows and they decided to quit before one or both of them got arrested. They almost got a child at one point, but the birth mother changed her mind before the child was born. Just when they were about to give up, their friend Ash came across an online forum for parents who also unable to have or adopt children, bought cat children and raised them as they would a human. After some soul searching they decided it was worth a try. Which is how they wound at a convention center in Nevada as the state had no regulation for the selling or ownership of wild animals, and by extension, since that's what they were in the eyes of the law, cat people.

"And hey, by doing this, we're saving some helpless child from God-knows-what." Charlie reasoned.

Jo supposed she was right. "Alright," She conceded, "Let's get this over with."

They spotted the both with several cages filled with cat people of various ages. Some tried to pace in the cages, other banging on the bars, trying to get free, other were sprawled out, unconscious, some of them were even pleading for help, or for their freedom.

Both woman froze for a moment, Jo letting out a gasp, and Charlie wavering for the first time since they made their decision. Then she grabbed Jo's hand and the pair marched over to the both, trying to hid their disgust as a short man in a black suit approached them.

"Hello ladies," The man greeted them in a British accent, "I'm Mr. Crowley. Looking for a cat person today?"

"Actually yes," Jo replied, trying to stay amiable, "We were hopping maybe you had some...younger ones."

"Well, as luck would have I rather healthy supply of kittens today." The man replied, leading the couple to a line of cages holding children ages ranging from two to fourteen. Some cowered in the back of their cages as the new comer's approach others just sat there, confused about what was going on; other still perked up, seeming almost eager. (Those were the ones bred in captivity and didn't know any different.) Jo's eyes almost immediately went to one in particular; a little boy who couldn't be more than four years old; huddled in the corner, shaking and sobbing from sheer terror.

Jo approached the tiny cage and got down on her knees in front of it, and whispered, "Hey."

The little boy's head jolted up at the sound of her voice.

"Leave him alone." The boy in the cage next to him piped up.

"It's alright." Jo said softly, "I'm not gonna hurt either of you. I' m Jo, and this is my wife, Charlie." She gestured to redhead who was approaching the cage, "What's your name?"

When the little boy didn't answer Jo added, "Well, what about your friend?"

"I'm Dean and that's Sam." The older boy spoke up, "He's my brother."

Jo and Charlie exchanged looks. They had only planed on adopting one child. They had only prepared for one. But they weren't going to separate too brothers, they couldn't. Within a few moments and no out loud communication, the two had come to a decision. "Would you both like to come home with us?" Charlie asked, walking up to the cage as well, "We promise to take good care of both of you." After looking back at the salesman, she lowered her voice and added, "And you wouldn't have to stay in those cages anymore."

Both boys just wanted to go home, but they knew (at least Dean knew) there was no chance of that happening, and getting out of these cages would be acceptable. "Yes." Dean said at last, as Sam nodded.

And so, after telling the man which two they wanted, Charlie handed him the money while Jo gathered the boys. She holding Sam in her arms, still trying to soothe him, while Dean clung around her legs looking around for any dangers.

 _"_ Areyou sure you don't at least want leashes and collars?" The man asked, "They're wild caught, both of them. They're too young to be dangerous, but that doesn't mean they won't try to run off." Eying Dean he added, "Especially the older one."

"We'll be fine." Charlie said, "We have our own in the car."

Dean tensed up as Charlie said that. She turned around and winked at the boy, but that only worried him more.

 _"_ Alright," Jo said as they lead the boys to a blue minivan in the parking lot, "We brought some clothes for you guys, then we're gonna go back to our hotel, okay?" At the moment, all the boys were wearing were black boxers and Charlie and Jo's coats.

Neither boy responded as Charlie unlock the car and Jo sat Sam inside. Charlie pulled out the duffle bag they had brought and started rummaging for clothes. Since they weren't sure how old the child they adopted would be or what gender they would be, they brought several options. Soon they had Sam in a plain blue t-shirt and jeans, and Dean in green and blue shirt with jeans. They still needed shoes however.

 _"_ We'll get you some more clothes later." Jo promised.

Not paying that statement any heed, Dean asked, "Are you going to put those collar things on us?"

"What?" The woman exclaimed in near unison. "No!"

"Why would you..." Jo began, but then remembered what Charlie had said.

So, did the young hacker. "Look, I only said that to get that...man off our backs." She explained, "You're not pets. You are members of our family."

 _"_ But we already have a family." Dean protested softly.

"I know." Jo said, pulling him into a hug, "And I wish we should give you back to them, but the best we can do is take care of you and love like you were our own."

By the time they got back to the hotel everyone was exhausted. So, after sneaking them in and getting some food in them, they tucked the boys into the bed, which thankfully was big enough to hold both of them, as again, they only expected to leave with one child. "I don't know if either of you want it, but," Charlie began, pulling something from her suitcase and walking back over to the bed, "I brought you guys something." She held out a stuffed monkey toy for them to see, "This was mine when I was kid and I brought it with us, in case...maybe you guys would want it." After a minute she added, "Sorry, I don't have something for each of you, it's just...we hadn't..."

"It's alright." Dean cut her off, "Sam can have it, I don't mind."

Charlie let out a sigh of relief. "Has anybody ever told you how great you are?"

"Thanks..." Dean's voice trailed off, wondering what to call her.

"Charlie will work for now." She said, as she handed the monkey to Sam, who despite having no concept of what a toy was, instantly took to the soft cuddly object. After he settled back down into bed squished up against his new plaything, Charlie kissed both boys on the forehead and Jo repeated the action. "Goodnight, boys."

 _"_ Good night," Dean replied to their new guardians and Sam mumbled, "G' night," Already almost asleep for the first time since their capture a few days before.

The women were awoken in the night by the sound of screaming.

They shot upright and found Dean struggling in bed going, "No, no! Help! Somebody please, help!" Sam was sitting up beside him, with no idea how to help his brother.

Immediately both women jumped from their bed and rushed over to the boys. "Dean," Jo said, shaking the boy, "Dean, honey, you gotta wake up!"

Dean eyes opened and he looked around, scared and confused.

"It's alright." Jo said, "You were just having a nightmare."

Still out it, no really comprehending what she had said, Dean said weakly, "I want my mom."

Jo pulled Dean into a hug as the poor broke down, saying, " I know. Ssssh. It's alright, it's all gonna be alright..."

She hoped she wasn't lying.


	4. A New World

Dean didn't get back to sleep that night, however, he did close eyes and pretend to be asleep. Then he heard a loud beeping nose and his eyes fluttered opened, raising on his hands and knees and looking around.

"Dean, it's okay, honey." Jo said, putting her finger on a black square with writing on the front, "It's just my alarm." When she pushed the top of it the beating stopped.

"Seriously, Jo?" Charlie said groggily, sitting up, "It's not like we have to go anywhere at a certain time."

"No, but we have to get packed, get these guys fed, sneak them out so there's no fuss, check out at the same time and drive all the way from Nevada to Nebraska." Jo replied, "Come to think of it I probably should've set the clock for earlier."

Sam started squirm, opening his eyes and looking around, confused. He didn't know where he was or how he got there. Then the events of the past few days came rushing back to him, then nestled closer to Dean, squeezing the monkey Charlie had given him as he let out a little whimper.

"Okay," Charlie said, getting out of bed, "I'll go get some breakfast for everyone, Jo, you get everything backed, you two, you can sleep a little longer if you want."

"Okay." Jo said, getting up, "That sounds as good a plan as any." Turning to boys she asked, "Are you two doing okay?"

Dean nodded.

Despite Charlie's offer, neither Sam nor Dean could get back to sleep, anxiously watching Jo put the women's clothes and things into a glossy red box.

"Where are we going?" Dean asked.

The sudden question started Jo, causing her to jump a little before turning around to face Dean. "A town called Resurrection, in a place called Nebraska." She answered sitting down on a bed.

"What's a town?" Dean asked, now confused.

 _Right,_ Jo thought, _this is all new to them._ Keeping that in mind she spent the next twenty minutes explaining to them what was town was what a state was, and brief history of the United States of America.

By that time the door opened and Charlie walked back in, hiding something in the folds of her jacket. "Everything okay in here?"

"Yeah, just explaining what a town was to the boys." Jo replied.

"Oh," Charlie said, sitting whatever it was in her coat on the table before pulling it back, revealing a box of _Tasty Cake_ maple sweet rolls. "I know, it's not exactly a nutritious breakfast, but you said it yourself, we're on a deadline, and this is what they had at the first place I came to, and we can be good parents when we get back home. And hey, I got milk." She held up a little carton.

"Okay," Jo relented, "Come on boys." As they got off the bed Jo leaned in, "Please tell me you got the adults something a little stronger."

Handing Jo, a cup of coffee, Charlie said, "You know I did."

"You are a princess among women." Jo said, taking the up before going over to help the boys into their seats.

The boys were surprised they could eat, but they were ravenous, wolfing down the unknown food set in front of them, barely even tasting it.

"Woe, guys, slow down." Charlie said, "You eat it so fast you're going to throw it up again."

"Sorry," Both boys said almost simultaneously, Dean averting his eyes and Sam ducking his head sheepishly.

"It's alright." Jo said, "Just slow down." To herself she thought, _Who knows if those bastards ever thought to give them some food._ Not to mention, while they did eat a little, the boys hadn't had much appetite last night.

With that in mind, she tore off another roll, handing it to Sam, "You want another one, baby?"

Sam nodded taking it.

"Dean?" Jo asked, pulling off another one.

"I'm fine." Dean said, but he was looking at it longingly.

"You sure?" Jo asked, seeing through the deception.

Dean looked down at the roll. He _was_ still hungry, but was afraid of what would happen if they thought he ate too much. Charlie had mentioned that they had only wanted one, so what if they decided that two were too much?

"It's okay." Jo said reassuringly, "There's plenty to go around."

Dean stared at the role still held out in Jo's hand. She looked like she really wanted him to take it. He reached out and grabbed onto the soft bread. "Thank you." He said, softly, tearing off a bit and eating it.

A few seconds later, Charlie spoke up, "You know, before we get on the road, we might need to get a booster seat for Sam."

Jo looked the boy over. "You really think so?"

"Babe, look at him," Charlie replied, gesturing to Sam, "We had to scramble for a book just to get him to reach the table."

It was true, Sam was currently sitting on not only a phone book they managed to find, but a pillow from one of the beds.

"Yeah, a booster seat couldn't hurt." Jo admitted, before taking another sip of her coffee.

After getting checking out and getting that booster seat, they group finally got onto the road. Suffice it to say, the drive was awkward, everyone sitting in silence exchanging glances. After a day and half of almost nothing but driving, they finally arrived at the apparent complex where Jo and Charlie lived in Resurrection.

This time they didn't have to sneak them into the building; Jo had each of them by the hands as Charlie carried the bag to the elevator. As the elevator opened up, the boys froze, Sam burying his face into Jo's leg.

"It's okay." Jo said, stroking his hair, "There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Don't let it eat us, Jo." Sam begged.

Jo and Charlie exchanged looks. "Maybe we should take the stairs for now." The redhead suggested.

"Yeah," Jo agreed, remembering how long it took to convince the toilet was okay, "Probably a good call."

The boys were much less scared of the stairs, and obediently went with the girls up to the fourth floor. When they to the middle of the hallway, and some mile fumbling with her keys, Charlie unlocked the door. "Welcome home boys," She said, pulling the door open.

The boys followed their guardians into the apartment. "You have a nice cave." Dean said softly, thought if he was being honest had no clue how to judge human caves, but it was certainly cozier than anywhere they had been in the last few days. He still preferred his cave back in the forest.

"Thank you." Charlie replied, "But places like these are called apartments. Would you like us to show you around?" She was trying to make this as normal for them as possible.

Dean nodded and his brother followed his lead.

"Okay, then." Charlie said, before starting to explain the purpose of the living room.

The apartment's living room connected to the kitchen/dining room area, then there was a short hallway that lead to the bathroom and two bedrooms across from each other.

"This is our room," Charlie said, pointing the room on the right which contained a gray-draped bed, some sort of multi-colored symbol in the middle of the gray, bedsides table on either side, "And this is yours." She walked the boys across the way, to a room with a plan chest of doors and a small bed covered with a green-and-red quilt.

"I know it's not much." Charlie said, "But we can fix it up nice, and we can get another bed. For tonight we'll figure something out."

The boys didn't respond, looking just bit overwhelmed.

Charlie crouched down so she was about their level. "I get that this is a lot to take in," She began, "That it's scary, that that's probably a _huge_ understatement. But we are going to be with you, every step of the way, I promise."

The words didn't exactly make them feel better, but it felt a bit reassuring. So far, these women hadn't hurt them. In fact, they had actually been nice. Maybe, just maybe, they were telling the truth.

But they still just wanted to go home.

They eventually wound up back in the living room, where Jo snuck off to the kitchen to call her mother.

"Hey, Mom." She whispered so she wouldn't be heard, "Just letting you know we got back safe."

"Good." Her mother, Ellen, said on the other end of the line, "Why are you whispering?"

"Because," Jo began, her eyes glancing back to the room to make sure she wasn't being overheard, "Your new grandchildren are in the next, room, and I don't want to rub it in that I can talk to my mom while they can't."

"What are you talking about-hold on, they?" Ellen asked, "How many kids did you get?"

"Two." Jo answered, "They're brothers, and we couldn't separate them, especially after everything they've been through already." She sighed, "Mom, they were home with their parents just five days ago. Now, they're alone, in a completely alien environment, separated from everyone they've ever known. They're completely terrified."

Ellen was taken aback. "That's horrible."

"Tell me about it." Jo replied, "I just wish there was something we could do to help them."

"Welcome to parenthood." Ellen told her.

"Well, we knew it wasn't going to be easy." Jo declared. They knew that unless they found a child that was already an orphan, even captive-bred children would have parents they would rather be with. And they would most certainly be traumatized.

"You need another week off?" Ellen offered.

"No, we can figure this all out by then." Jo replied.

"You know I _can_ actually function without you, right?" Ellen told her.

Jo smiled briefly, "Yes, Mom, yes I do. Now I probably need to go before they realize something's up. Plus, someone needs to make dinner."

"Okay," Ellen responded, "Good luck."

"Thanks," Jo replied, "Maybe after we get them settled we're bring them around, let them meet Grandma."

"Yeah, I'm gonna want to negotiate that name." Ellen said, "Love you."

"You, too." Jo said, before hanging up and going to the refrigerator, looking for what they had to cook.

She grabbed some chicken, broccoli and shredded cheese, hoping they had rice. She looked over to the canister and saw that they did. She also saw they had bread, and that gave her an idea. She knew it wouldn't be much, but it was worth a shot.

Dinner presented new challenges. The boys were willing to eat, but they had no clue how to use the utensils. They needed physical help holding on with the spoon at first, and even then, it was trial and error.

"You guys get enough?" Jo asked her hands on the casserole dish.

Dean nodded before turning to his brother, "Sammy?"

The little boy nodded.

"Okay," Jo said, taking it over to the stove before leaning over and pulling something out of the oven. She sat it back down on the table, revealing a ceramic container with what looked like soft cubes, which she started dolling out into bowels.

She put two of the bowels in front of the boys, who looked down at it like was going to reach out and eat them.

"It's alright," Charlie spoke up, "It's just bread pudding." Then, to prove the point she took a big spoonful and put it her mouth. She swallowed it, "See? It's good."

Sam looked over to Dean, seeing what his brother was going to do. Dean picked up the spoon, maybe a little too close to the scoop, and dug it into the bowel, putting a spoonful in his mouth. It was a plain dish, dense and warm with something sweet and spicy, and something else that was sweet and creamy, and yet it might be the most comforting food he had ever eaten. Though he's never had anything like it in his life, it tasted like _home._ Like a warm crackling fire and strong arms, keeping them safe. He took another bite, and another, and another, eagerly, without haste, barely drawing his eyes up enough to tell his brother, "It's okay. Try it."

Sam did, and he had similar reaction to Dean.

 _Wow,_ Jo thought, sitting down with her own desert, _I didn't think it would work_ that _well._

Charlie gave her a knowing smile. Leave it to Jo to think of comfort food.

The girls cleaned the dishes themselves that night. They didn't want the boys to get the impression that they had bought them just for free labor, which was something some people did. Maybe once they trusted them more they'd assign them some chores, appropriate for their age of course.

By the time they were done the boys were half-asleep on the couch. "Okay," Jo said, picking up Sam while Charlie did the same with Dean, "I think it's bedtime for all little boys."

They decided it would be best if they all share a bed that night, so they tucked the boys into them middle, before getting ready for bed themselves.

When they returned, they found the boys so close they appeared to be one person. "Aww," Charlie said, in spite of herself.

"I'll admit it, they are pretty cute." Jo said admitted, getting on her side of the bed. "Goodnight little ones," She whispered, before turning off the light, "Wish this was easier for you."

In the middle of the night, Sam flew up in the bed, shivering even though sweat was pouring down his brow. His breathing was off and he was trembling. Dean and their guardians seemed undisturbed by the little boy's fright, but he wished that they had been. All he wanted to do was crawl up into someone's arms, but he couldn't. He might as well have been all by himself. Tears gleamed in Sam's eyes and he started to cry silently.

Movement from the bed caused Jo to wake her eyes fluttered opened and she saw Sam weeping. "Hey," She said, sitting up, and holding out her arms, "What's wrong, baby?"

"Bad dream," Sam whimpered, jumping into the offered embrace and burying his face into Jo's chest.

"You wanna talk about it?" Jo offered, rocking him back and forth, thought she had a pretty good idea what the nightmare entailed.

Sam just shook his head.

"That's okay," Jo said, "You don't have to if you don't want to." She snuggled Sam, waiting him to calm down. It didn't look like that was going to happen fast. He was crying harder and harder. Whatever scared him in his nightmare was still scaring him now. Jo racked her brain. What had her parents done when she was like this? "Hey," She said, finally, "Do you think a story would help?"

Sam removed his head from her chest and just stared up at her. "We could try." He whimpered finally.

"Alright," Jo began, "Once upon a time in ancient Greece there was a young woman named Rhodopis...

And that was Jo wound up telling Sam a slightly sanitized version of "The Egyptian Cinderella." (Being kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery became going to Egypt of her own freewill and finding a paying position.) Sam fell asleep halfway through, but Charlie and Dean work up and he wanted to hear the rest.

"And so, the Pharaoh made Rhodopis his queen, and they all lived happily ever after." Jo finished.

"What about the other girls who were so mean to her?" Dean asked.

"They were..."Jo's voice trailed off, as the story never actually said what happened to them, "Not invited to the wedding."

"Oh," Dean replied.

"Now, do you think you can get back to sleep?" Jo asked.

"Yes." Dean said, lying down in the bed.

Jo kissed him on the forehead. "Good night, little guy. Love you."

"Goodnight," Dean yawned.

Then the girls lay down as well. They had a long day head of them tomorrow.


	5. Shopping

Jo lay in the bed, her noise twitching ever so slightly as something tickled it. She allowed her eyes to open wearily. Two cat-children were curled around her head, dozing softly. Dean was in-between her and Charlie, nuzzled right into Jo's neck. Sam was laid on top of her, hidden beneath the covers, his monkey on the side of her back.

 _"How the Hell..."_ Jo thought, then remembered this was the only solution for the fact that they only had one child-sized bed for two children. She sighed, fiddling with Dean's hair. She let her eyes go to the clock on the nightstand to see that it was 9.00 AM. Her stomach growled then and she decided it was time for everyone to have a little breakfast before their busy day began.

She took her time waking everyone up. She starting by gently nudging Sam and tickling his sides. Suddenly his eyes opened.

"Hey, Sam." Jo greeted him, "Want to help me get these two sleepy heads up?"

And so, Sam eagerly helped Jo repeat the process with Dean and Charlie. It was the closet she had even seen him to being happy in the short time she'd know him.

"Okay," Charlie said, after they were all awake, "So, you get breakfast going and I take these guys to the bathroom." They were still getting the hang of indoor plumbing, so for the interim they were helping them with the bathroom.

A little after that, they were finally able load everyone in the car so they could start on their chores for that day. While they had prepared to have a child in the house, they had only prepared for one, so now they had to get doubles of everything they had already required. Plus, they still needed shoes.

That was where they decided to start, but with the stares they were getting the women were starting to wonder if this was the best idea.

The fact that people have noticed them was not lost on the boys, who hid behind their guardians' legs to avoid the prying eyes.

"It's okay," Charlie said softly, stroking both of them, "We'll get out of here as fast as we can."

They came to the children's second, another mother there grabbed her two children and fled.

"Oh, come on!" Jo shouted at them, "Seriously?! They're just kids, you-"

"Babe," Charlie began, pulling her back, "Let it, go."

"But-" Jo began.

"I know," Charlie cut her off, "But she has kids with her. _We_ have kids with us. We can't go making a seen in front of them."

Jo sighed. "You're right." Then she turned back to the boys.

The boys weren't that picky on what type of shoes. They brought stacks of possible choices and tried them on to see which worked.

As Dean walked down the aisle to see how the shoes felt, Dean could no longer contain his curiosity. "Why do humans wear shoes?"

The women exchanged looks. "That's a good question, actually," Charlie began, "Um..." Then she thought of an answer, "Have you ever stepped on something in the forest? Something that hurt?"

"Yeah," Dean replied, "Everyone has."

"Well," Charlie continued, "Shoes protect your feet from things like that." After a minute, she added, "So how do these feel?"

"Okay." Dean said, "I think they fit."

Just then a nervous-looking sales rep came over to them. "Ah, excuse me ma'ams," He began, "W-we've had some complaints about the two...cat-children with you."

Charlie wanted to tell him off, but instead said politely, "Actually we were just about to leave. Please, just let us check out and we'll be out of your hair."

"Sure," The sales rep conceded, "Let me ring you up."

After the sales repersentive was surprisingly pleasant, even giving the boys suckers from the display. "On the house." He said.

"Is that even allowed?" Jo asked.

"Don't worry about it," The boy replied, "I'll cover it. You all just look like you're going to have a long day ahead of you."

"Boys, can you tell the man thank you?" Jo asked.

"Thank you." The two said simultaneously.

"You're welcome." The man said as they walked out.

The next step was clothing. That went just as well as the shoe store had, if not worst.

While shirts weren't that hard to try on, pants were because of the boys' tails. They couldn't even get them over them.

"Well, we can get a good idea of how they fit and then I can sew holes in them." Jo suggested.

"Sew holes?" Charlie responded.

"You know what I mean." Jo replied.

They gathered up the clothes and where heading towards the check out when they heard a little voice said, "Look, Mommy! They have tails like Eliza!"

In spite of themselves, the family turned their heads and saw a little girl about the same age at Sam, pointing at the boys, holding the hand of her rather embarrassed-looking mother.

"I see that, baby, but we don't need to yell that across the store." The woman whispered.

"Can I pet them?" The little girl whispered.

"I'm sorry, baby, we don't have time, and they're not ours." The woman said, quickly leading her child away from the scene.

The air around them was suddenly heavy, and then Sam asked the question neither adult wanted to answer. "Why did she want to pet us?"

The woman exchanged anguished looks, wondering what to say. Charlie's mouth felt like it was plastered shut. How do you explain to five-year-old that majority of society sees him as less than human, and therefore treated like one would a domestic animal?

Then Dean soberly said, "She thought we were your pets, didn't she?"

"Yes." Charlie confirmed sadly, "It's true, a lot of people think cat-people are pets."

"That's what a lady at that place told us." Dean replied, looking down at the ground.

Jo squinted her eyes in confusion. "What lady?"

"She's a cat person, like us," Dean explained, "Those bad people sold her, too."

Things were becoming clear to the women.

"She says that pets didn't think like human do." Dean continued, "But we do."

"I know," Charlie said leading them away, "And it's extremely unfair that people don't acknowledge that, but maybe it won't always be that way."

"What does that mean?" Dean asked.

"There are people out there who don't think cat-people should be pets," Charlie explained, "That they should be able to live like people."

"Like you and Jo?" Sam spoke up.

"Yeah," Charlie said, removing him from the buggy, "People like us." Turning to Jo, she said, "I'll take them to car while you pay, okay?"

Charlie just waited in the cars with the boys at the last stop to get a bed, then they headed home.

Even at home they had difficulties, particularly with the beds. First, they had to move the first bed from the center of the room to side, which turned out to me resembling it and putting it back together. Too bad neither of them could figure out the instructions.

"We were able to get this together before!" Charlie exclaimed in exasperation, looking at the directions.

All the while, the boys were watching them. "Can we help?" Dean asked.

"Sorry, boys," Jo said, standing up, "This is a job for the adults. Why don't you go play in the living room for a while, okay?"

Neither of the boys felt like playing, but Dean said, "Okay," lead his brother back towards the living room.

The boys sat on the couch for a while, wondering what to do. Then suddenly Dean felt something climbing on the side of his head. It was Sam. "You wanna wrestle?" Dean asked.

"Can we, Dean?" Sam responded, "Please?"

Dean responded grabbing onto Sam's side. Soon the two were rolling in the floor. It felt good. For a few minutes, they forgot about everything else.

Then there they felt a hard pain and simultaneously heard a _thud_ and _crash_ as they rolled into the TV-stand thing.

Charlie and Jo ran into the living room, saw the mess then ran over to the boys, and helped them up. "Are you hurt?" Jo asked, looking them over for wounds.

"No." Dean answered.

"Sam?" Charlie asked.

"My hand hurts." Sam whimpered.

Charlie looked down and saw a cut on the front of Sam's hand.

"Okay," Jo said, picking the little boy up, "Let's go to the bathroom and get you patched up." Then she walked off, leaving Dean and Charlie by themselves.

The bathroom was much like one in the bathroom in Jo and Charlie's bed room. Light green tile and matching walks, with a green toilet and sink with a dark wood cabinet and a white counter. There was even a small green cabinet on the side, like in the half-bathroom. The only difference really was a green tub and shower, which they did not have in the half-bathroom.

Jo sat Sam down on the sink. "Here we go," She said, opening the cabinet and pulling out a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide, "This is going to sting a little." She told Sam, taking the injured hand and carefully squirting it on the cut.

"Ow!" Sam screamed pulling back.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry," Jo said, gently grabbing the hand, "But I had done that to get rid of the germs."

"The what?" Sam whimpered.

"Germs." Jo replied, "Are these things that can make you very sick. And this." She held up the peroxide bottle, "Helps you get rid of them. Only it stings."

"Oh." Was Sam's response.

"And now we put this on." She said, putting a cotton ball on the wound, "And then this," she unwrapped a beige band-aid and put it on the ball, "To keep it all in place. See?"

As she was leaned over, Sam grabbed a fist-full of her hair.

"Whoa, what are you doing, little man?" Jo asked. He wasn't hurting her at the moment, but it was still alarming.

"You have hair like my Mommy's." Sam informed her.

Jo was quiet for a minute, not quite sure how to respond to that.

"I miss her." Sam continued softly.

Jo's heart broke. "Come here." She said, picking the boy up and holding him to her chest, "I'm sorry this happened to you."

Meanwhile, Dean looked around at the destruction all around them. "I'm -I'm sorry." He stammered at the realization are what they had done dawned on him, "We didn't mean to."

"What exactly were you two doing in here?" Charlie asked.

"Wrestling." Dean said softly looking down at ground. _This is it,_ He thought, _they're going to send one of us back. Maybe both of us._

"Dean," Charlie began, "You cannot do that in the house. At least in rooms with lots of furniture around now. Now, since you didn't know we're not gonna discipline you this time, but if this happens again we'll have to. Do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am." Dean replied.

Just then Jo returned with Sam. "All fixed up." She said before going to get the broom.

The boys stood nearby, Dean with his arms around Sam and Sam with his arms around his monkey, watching their guardians clean up the mess when Sam picked up one of the fallen pictures. It was a picture of a man and a woman, maybe a bit older than the woman, a young red-headed girl in-between them.

"Charlie," Sam spoke up, "Holding out the picture. Who are they?"

Charlie took the picture and a mournful look crossed her features. "These are my parents." She said sadly, "This is a picture of them."

"Why does it make you sad?" Sam asked, innocently.

Charlie paused, wondering how to explain this to him. Well, they were going to have to explain this concept to them somewhere down the road. She knelt down at their level. "Because they're not...here anymore."

It was then Jo came over, putting a reassuring hand on her wife's shoulder.

"You see," Charlie continued, "Sometimes people are hurt so bad they can't get better, so God takes them to Heaven, and that's what happened to them. I -I guess I still miss them."

They all just stood there for a moment then Sam lunged at Charlie, hugging her neck. Then Dean came over and embraced her from the side. Missing their parents was something they all had in common.

Both women were thinking the same thing. _Did we just bound a little?_


	6. Meeting Ellen

"Mom!" Jo called out, walking into the bar her mother owned, followed by Charlie and they boys, "Are you here?"

Ellen Hartville came out from the kitchen at the sound of her daughter's voice. It was the middle of the day, so apart from them and the guy sleeping on the pool table it the place was deserted. That didn't mean there wasn't work to be done. "Hey, sweetie," Ellen said, sitting a crate down the counter, "Charlie." Then she eyed the two boys hiding behind Charlie's legs, "And you two must be Sam and Dean."

The pair tried to squeeze even more out of view, Sam clinging to the monkey that had been his contestant companion for the last seven days.

"It's alright," Jo assured them, "This is my mother, Ellen."

Ellen walked over to the little family and crouched down so that she was as tall as Dean was. "I'm very pleased to meet you." She gently, and when they showed no signs of coming out added, "Come on, I don't bite."

Dean pulled away somewhat from Charlie's leg. "Nice to meet you two, ma'am."

"You can call me, Ellen," She told him, "Seeing as we're family now." Though if she was being honest, when her daughter and daughter-in-law had told her what they were planning, she hadn't been so sure about the idea.

However, as the visit went on, Ellen couldn't help but see there was little difference, if any between them and human children. Sure, they were standoffish, but that was only because they were surrounded strange people in a strange place, separated from their parents and everything they had never knew, it was to be expected. It was a miracle they hadn't shut down completely.

"So, how are they adjusting," Ellen asked, as the four adults gathered around a table in the bar, "Exactly?"

Jo replied, " They're both still having nightmares, but at least they're not scared of us anymore. Just everyone else. Of course, it could be worst; I found someone online who adopted their kid two years ago and she still wets the bed."

"Actually..." Charlie began softly.

"What?" Jo asked, "Did something happen?"

Charlie looked over to where to kids were at. Sam was taking a nap on one of the tables, and Dean was a few feet away, not paying attention to their conversation. Turning back to the group and lowering her voice, she said, "Sam wet the bed last night."

"Where was I when this happened?" Jo asked.

"Probably getting ready to go." Charlie said, "I didn't find out about until this morning when I went to get the boys up. They were both sleeping in Dean's bed and Sam wasn't wearing any pants. Apparently, he was embarrassed and didn't want anyone to know and practically begged me not to tell anyone, so I cleaned him and the bed up and kept my mouth shut."

"Babe," Jo exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me? You have to keep me up on things like this. Has-has this happened before?"

"No, " Charlie replied, "This is the first time. So, what do you want to do?"

"Well, do you know why he wet the bed?" Jo asked, "Was it another nightmare, or-"

"I don't know." Charlie admitted, "I was too busy with the cover-up." After a beat she added,  
"We're already terrible parents, aren't we?"

"No." Ellen interjected, "You're just trying to figure things out. Now, I don't know if you want my advice, but I would talk to him about it, see if it happens again then work from there."

"Thanks, Mom." Jo replied.

Later on, Ellen was doing some work at the bar, stacking up some bottles, when she felt a presence behind her. She turned around and saw Sam staring at her. "Hey, Sweetie," She said, "Um, where's your brother?"

"Talking to Mr. Ash," He answered gesturing over to the table where the pair was at the computer. Ellen hopped whatever they were looking at was appropriate for children.

"When are Jo and Charlie coming back?" Ellen asked.

"I'm not sure, Sammy," Ellen answered, "Jo's running a quick errand for me, but Charlie's was a work thing, so who knows how long that'll take."

"Oh," Sam said, "What are you doing?"

"Just-organizing some bottles." Elle answered going back to her work.

"Can I help?" Sam asked.

"Sure," Sam said, pulling up a stool for him to stand on.

Ellen couldn't help put small at the odd pleasure Sam took from the task as they completed it. Soon, Dean got curious and walked up to them. "What are you doing?"

"Stacking bottles." Sam answered, putting a bottle on the stack.

"Can I help?" Dean asked.

"The more the merrier," Ellen replied.

A few minutes later Jo came back with the bag of pretzels they needed but didn't make her presence known when she saw what they were doing, just happy they were bonding.


	7. New Friends

After that things started to slow down. The family had sutured routine in place, and the boys were starting to acclimate to their news surrounding.

When the women returned to work, Ellen allowed the boys to stay in her apartment upstairs while Jo was waitressing the tavern. At regular intervals, she would come up to check on the boys and help on their schoolwork if needed. It wasn't the easiest situation, but they made it work and made it work well.

There was just one problem, though.

The boys were still afraid of strangers. Not the healthy caution of strangers that cause us not to go off with them, but absolute terror of anyone who weren't Jo, Charlie, Ash or Ellen. They run behind their guardians or grandmother for safety if someone got within a few feet of them. At Sam's age, this behavior was still somewhat socially acceptable, but this was not the case with Dean.

"There's got to be something we can do about this." Jo said one evening after work. They had put the boys to bed and could now speak freely about the issue.

"I've been looking in the chat rooms again." Charlie replied, scrolling on her lap top as they spoke, "There are a couple of different ways to deal with this."

"I wish I could actually talk to some of these people." Jo said, sitting on the couch next to her, "So, what do you got?"

"We could introduce them to some of our friends." Charlie answered, "Not like all at once, just one or two at time, to help them get use to humans and learn the difference between good and bad humans, and how to judge. Most parents recommend friends who also have kids, to help with socialization."

"And that actually works?" Jo asked.

"Success rates about fifty-fifty." Charlie answered, "But I think it might be out best shot."

"Do we actually have any friends with kids?" Jo asked.

"Maybe a couple?" Charlie responded, "I'm not sure, actually."

"Man, we're terrible friends." Jo realized. They didn't even know if their friends had kids or not!

"It's okay." Charlie assured her, trying to calm her down, "We'll figure this out."

That Friday, Charlie and Jo informed the boys that they were going to have company the following day.

"Who is it?" Dean asked apprehensively.

"Eileen Leahy." Jo answered, dusting the TV stand, "An old friend of mine from collage."

"What's collage?" Sam asked.

"That's a school you go to after regular school sometimes." Jo answered, "Depending on what you want to do when you grow up."

"And you wanted to be a waitress?" Sam asked, innocently.

Jo froze. "No." She admitted, continuing her work, "I hadn't decided exactly what I wanted to be yet, but, um, things just didn't work out." Who knew how much it wouldn't have worked out, had Eileen not showed up when she did. "Boys, there's something you need to know Eileen." She changed the subject, "She's deaf. Do you know what means?"

The boys shook their heads.

"It means she can't hear." Jo explained, "Now, she can read lips, so if you want to talk to her, make sure she can see them, and I can sign for you if you need me to."

"Sign?" Sam asked.

"Deaf people have this language they use to help commutate, making symbols with their hands." Jo explained, before bending two of her fingers, leaving three up, "Like this, see?"

"What does that mean?" Sam asked.

"I love you." Jo replied, unsure how this would go over.

The boys stared at her, like they weren't sure what to do with that.

"And this," She began, balling her hand into a fist and putting it on her heart, rubbing it, "Means I'm sorry."

The boys balled up their fist, practicing the sign.

Jo turned around and returned to her work when Dean spoke up, "Can we help?"

Jo paused for minute. "Sure." She said, "Just let me get some extra dust rags, and I'll show you what to do."

The next day, the boys were sitting on the sofa when the doorbell rang. Jo walked over and after looking through the peep whole revealing a young woman with long dark brown hair.

"Eileen." Jo beamed before hugging her.

"Jo." Eileen responded, "How are you?"

Jo pulled back. "Great." She said, "The boys are over here. Come on."

They walked over to the sofa and the boys stood up.  
"That's not really necessary." Eileen told them.

"Boys, this Eileen." Jo introduced her friend, "Eileen, this is Sam and Dean."

Eileen crouched down so she was about as tall as Dean was and extended a hand to him. He just stared at it like he didn't know what to do with it. Because he didn't.

"Here." Eileen said inching closer to Dean's hand. "Let me show you." Then she wrapped her hand firmly around his. "Now you wrap yours back around mind." Dean did as she instructed, "Now we shake it." Eileen continued, moving their hands in firm up-and-down motion. "Not a bad start. There's a good first try." Eileen said, before repeating the strange ritual with Sam. "Jo never told me how handsome you two were. You are gonna break some hearts when you're older."

"Thank you." Dean said softly. He wasn't what to make of this woman, yet. Jo liked her, so that probably made her okay, but he still wasn't sure.

"So, guys," Eileen said, "Help me out here. Which one of you is Sam and which one is Dean?"

The boys exchanged looks.

"That's Sam and that's Dean." Jo spoke up, making signs with her hands and pointing at them each and turn. Then she looked off into the distance. "Where is Charlie? Give me a second, I'll find her. Mind watching the boys?"

"No problem." Eileen agreed.

However, as Jo went to find her wayward wife, she felt something cling to her leg. She looked down and saw Sam wrapped around her lower leg. "Ah, Sam," She began, trying to pry the little boy off, "What are you doing, little man?"

"I don't want you to go." Sam moaned, burying his face into her leg.

"I'm just going in the kitchen to find Charlie." Jo assured him, finally preying him off her leg and kneeling down, "And until Eileen can take care of you."

Sam looked rather dubious of the whole idea.

"Look, you can trust her." Jo continued, "She saved my life once."

"Really?" Sam responded.

"Yes, really." Jo replied, "And I promise to tell you about it one day if you let me go find Charlie."

"Okay." Sam said, and then Jo walked down the hall, leaving the three alone.

The three walked back to the furniture, Eileen taking the recliner and the boys sitting across from her. "So, Jo tells me she's been homeschooling you guys. How's that going?"

"I'm learning human reading." Dean replied, apprehensively, "And some writing."

"Human reading and writing?" Eileen responded, confused.

"Human writing's different from Cat People writing." Dean explained, "We use pictures. So human reading's different, too."

"Would you mind showing me?" Eileen asked, actually interested.

"Wait here." Dean said, grabbing Sam's hand, "Come on, Sammy."

"Where are you going? Eileen asked.

"Going to get paper." Dean answered.

"And that takes two people?" Eileen countered good-naturedly.

Dean and Sam froze.

"It's alright." Eileen assured them, "You can trust me with him. And if you don't, it won't take you that long to get back here."

"Stay here, Sammy." Dean said, before walking off, leaving Sam and Eileen just staring at each other.

A minute later, Dean came back holding a notebook and a pencil. He sat down with and put it on the coffee table, carefully drawing two circles, then put a tale at the bottom and cat ears on top.

"What's that?" Eileen asked, though she thought she had a good idea.

"A cat person." Dean answered.

"That seems like a rather fat cat person." Eileen joked.

"That's just the way its drawn." Dean said sheepishly.

"I'm just messing with you." Eileen told him, "You're very good at that, Dean."

"Thank you." Dean replied, "I'm helping Jo and Charlie to teach Sammy because he doesn't know that much. Mom just started teaching him when- "His voice trailed off.

"It's okay." Eileen said, reaching out and stroking his arm, "You don't have to go there. You don't have to talk about it."

Just then Jo came back in with Charlie, "Okay, I found her." Jo said, "Everything go okay while I was gone?"

"Yeah." Eileen responded, "We had a good time for the most part, didn't we boys?"

Dean nodded.

"Dean taught Eileen how to draw!" Sam spoke up.

Jo raised an eyebrow and Charlie smirked. "Really?" The redhead responded.

"I just drew a cat-person sign for her." Dean explained, looking down.

"Dean tells me he helps you teach Sam cat-people signs." Eileen added.

"He does." Jo confirmed, "He's a very good teacher."

Dean blushed under the weight of their praise. "Well, Jo does most of the teaching."

Jo rubbed his head. "You don't give yourself enough credit, bud." She glad to see them, or at least Dean start to open up. She sat now next to the boys, as Charlie grabbed a chair from the kitchen for herself, "So, Eileen, how's work going?"

The five of them sat and talked for hours. Eileen and the women talked and reminiscence, and answered any questions the boys had about the conversation that came up, including them at the conversation at any point they could. The boys were starting to warm up to the stranger.

Then Sam remembered something Jo had said earlier. "Is it true that you saved Jo's life?"

The woman exchanged awkward looks. "You told them about that?" Charlie whispered.

"He didn't want me to go." Jo justified her actions, "And I didn't give him any detail."

"Well, he's asking for detail now." Charlie replied

They all looked awkwardly at the boys. Sam was looking at them expectantly while Dean looked worried.

Jo ran her hands through her hair, sighed, then began, "Back before I met Charlie, I was…in love with someone else, at least I thought I was. But that person-hurt me. One night he was really, hurting me, and Eileen saw it, and…chase him away."

Jo could still reminder that night. Chance had her pinned against the wall, hands around her throat when suddenly a whirl pulled him off her, slamming him against the wall. She had seen Eileen around, but they had never really talked before, but she still risked herself to save her. She then got Jo safety and let her use her cell to call Ellen to let her know what had really been going on.

"And ever since I can't seem to shake her." Jo finished after a minute, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well, somebody has to look out for you, kid." Eileen joked, also trying to lighten the mood.

Suddenly Sam crawled over Dean, and wrapped himself around Jo's waist. "I'm sorry you got hurt."

Jo ran a hand through his hair. "It's alright, little man. That was a long time ago. He's long gone, and now I have great wife and a couple of great kids."

Sam looked around for a moment, as if confused.

"I mean you and Dean, silly." Jo said, running her fingers through his hair again.

Things went so well the girls arranged a few more visits with Eileen, and she was their babysitter once when Jo couldn't take them to work. Now they just had to help the boys make some friends their own age. Eileen, it turned out was helpful in that area too.

" _Hey, who's this Workingmom 86?_ " Eileen asked with her hands, leaning over the message board. They were alone so the pair were mostly using sign language.

" _One of the other moms who adopted a cat-person_." Jo signed back, " _Same as everyone on this board, but she also has a human child, too. I've actually used a lot of her suggesting with the boys' homeschool."_

" _How old are her kids?"_ Eileen asked.

" _Not sure, but I think the cat-girls about four and her human's child seven."_ Jo replied

" _Do they live in the area?"_ Eileen questioned.

" _Why?"_ Jo asked.

" _I'm just thinking that maybe if she was, you might have a way for the to start interacting with other children."_ Eileen suggested.

" _What, like a play date?"_ Jo speculated.

" _I'm just saying it could be an opportunity for them to make some friends."_ Eileen replied, _"And it would do them some good to be around other Cat-People again."_

" _I'll see if she's free."_ Jo conceded.

"Okay, this is it," Jo said a few days later, coming a bench in the park, "Go play while we wait for the others to get here."

That was how the little family wound up at the playground near their apartment building. "Why don't you to go play while we wait for them?" Jo suggested to Sam and Dean.

The boys ran over to the playground and got on the swings, while Jo and Charlie sat down on a nearby bench to watch them.

"So, do you have any idea what this woman looks like?" Charlie asked.

"No," Jo admitted, "She sent a picture, but it was blurry. I'm guessing she'll be the one with a cat-girl and a human boy walking by her."

Just then they heard someone clearing their throat behind them. They turned to see a dark-haired woman in a police uniform standing next to them. "Those, uh, your boys over there?" She asked, pointing to Sam and Dean on the swing set.

"We got collars on them." Jo protested, "We're within the ordnance."

Despite their desire for the boys to not have to wear them, the law required domestic cat people to wear them, so they got a pair that the boys only wore outside. The minute they were inside the damn things came off. Jo didn't want some busy-body cop hassling them for simply being in the park.

The officer smiled. "Relax," She said, "Your secret's safe with me." Then she stepped back a little, revealing a beautiful cat-girl the same age as Sam with long dark hair, and an older boy, a bit younger than Dean, next to the girl.

"Oh," Jo said, standing up, "You must be Jody. I'm Jo, and this is my wife Charlie."

"Nice to meet you." Jody replied, shaking both woman's hand, "This is Alex, and her brother, Owen."

"Nice to meet you, too." Jo said, then called out, "Boys, could you come over here for a minute?!"

The boys came running up to their foster mothers, then eyed the three strangers.

"This is Alex and Owen." Jo said, gesturing to the girl, "And this is their mother, Jody." She looked at the woman to see if this was the right designation, and she nodded, "Alex, Owen, Jody, these are our boys, Dean and Sam."

"Hi," Dean said.

"Hello." Sam added.

"Hey," Owen said back.

"Alex, say hello." Jodie encouraged the girl, who seemed rather pensive.

"Hi," The girl said shyly.

"You want to play?" Sam asked.

Alex looked over at the playground.

"It's alright, honey," Jody encouraged, "Go."

They ran off with the boys and soon they were playing together like they had been friends for years.

"You can't believe how happy I am this worked out," Jodie told the couple, "Alex is usually so shy."

"To be honest, I was kind of worried, too," Charlie said, "But mainly because our oldest is well, so much-older."

"It's only a four-year age difference," Jo reminded them, " And Owen is almost Dean's age. Though, Jodie, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot." Jodie replied.

"Why did you choose-this method of adoption?" Jo asked, "Especially when you already have a child, so we know that wasn't the problem."

"Well, actually," Jody began, "I didn't. Chose it, I mean. Alex was given to me by a-a well-meaning friend for my birthday a couple of years ago. I had never actually wanted a cat-person, but there was this tiny two-year-old looking up at me with these wide eyes, what was I going to do? Send her back to the breeders? And then after spending some time with her...I just couldn't raise her like a mere animal, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah," Jo said, looking at the children, "I know."


	8. Love You

So, Sam." Jo said, going down the isle of the grocery store with Sam in her cart, "How did you like Alex and Owen yesterday?"

Sam stopped trying to sound out the names on the cereal boxes and turned to face his guardian. "I like 'em. Can we see them more?"

Jo chuckled. "Sure, honey, I just need to plan it out with their mom, okay?"

Sam nodded, then went to trying to read the cereal boxes out loud, causing Jo to laugh again.

Then Sam looked at her. "Jo?"

"What, baby?" Jo asked.

"Where did Alex come from?" Sam asked.

Jo froze for a minute. "What do you mean?" Jo asked, thought she already know.

"Did she come from a forest like me and Dean?" Sam asked.

Jo wish it was that simple. How could she explain this him? The concept of taking two cat-people and forcing them to bread, to produce a child, and then have that child ripped away from them? How did one even begin to explain that to a five-year old?

Just the Jo was saved by his phone going off.

 _Oh, thank God, Jo_ prayed, looking at the caller ID, then, seeing was Charlie, picked up. "Hey, babe."

"Hey." Charlie said on the other line, pushing her own cart with Dean walking beside her, "Got our half. You?"

"We're- "Jo began, "We're working on it."

"Jo," Sam pipped up, pointing at box of some kind of chocolate cereal, "Can we get some of this?"

"Ah, one second." Jo responded, "Hon, can I let Sam put some cereal that's probably really bad for him in the cart?"

"Has he been good?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." Jo agreed.

"Yeah, Dean has too." Charlie replied, running her fingers through the boy's hair, "Go on, let 'em get it."

Jo looked at Sam. "Okay buddy, put it in."

Sam grinned, taking the box in putting it in the cart.

 _It's so good to see him smile._ Jo thought to herself, pushing the cart. "So, meet at the check-out line?"

"Sure." Charlie confirmed, "See you there. Love you."

"You, too." Jo said, before hanging up.

Jo pushed the cart to the front of the store, scanning for Charlie and Dean.

"Where are they?" Sam asked.

"I'm looking, baby." Jo responded, "I'm sure we'll find them soon."

That was when a male voice says, "Well, well, well. Look who it is."

Jo turned around to see a man with short-cut brown hair smirking at her mockingly.

Jo scowled. "I thought you left town, Chance."

"Just been on the other side of it." Chance countered, sauntering towards her, "So, ah, what's with the freak in your shopping cart?"

Jo walked over to Sam and pulled him to her side, saying neutrally, "He's none of your business, Chance."

Chance snorted. "Don't tell me you've become one of those Cat-People's rights nut job."

"Again, it's none of your business." Jo said, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of Charlie and Dean.

"You have, haven't you?!" Chance laughed, as if it was the funniest thing in the world, "Oooh, this is just too good. Tell me, when exactly did you become some hippie-dippy bitch?"

Jo was shocked for a moment, the wrapped her fist tightly around the handle of the cart. _I don't have to listen to this anymore._ She thought, marching away.

That was she felt a hand reach out and grab her arm and Chance saying, "Hey! I'm not done talking to you, Jo!"

"Back off Chance!" Jo demanded, pulling away from him.

"What you think just because we broke up that you can talk to me like that?" Chace challenged, getting in her face.

"Leave her alone!" Sam pipped up defensively.

Chance looked down and smirked at Sam mockingly. Jo was all too familiar with that look.

Chance laughed. "Aw, freak trying to defend his mommy? That's so cute."

"Stay away from him, Chance!" Jo demanded, trying to get away.

Before things could escalate, Charlie saw them and approached them with her cart. "Jo," Charlie began, releasing something was off right away, "Who is this?"

Jo shifted uncomfortably. "Charlie, this is my ex, Chance."

"Oh." Charlie replied gravely, resisting the urge to throttle him just for what he had did to her girl when they were together.

"What I don't—" Chance began when noticed the matching left-hand rings. Suddenly, he turned on Charlie enraged, "What did you do to my girl, you Fag?!"

Chance had known Jo was bi since they met. When they were dating it was hot. Now that they had been broken up for several years it was the reason it happened.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Dean exclaimed.

Chance looked down at Dean with another look Jo was familiar with. "I think somebody needs to teach your freaks a lesson." Then he raised his him to strike.

Before he could hit Dean, thought, a hand reached out and tightly grabbed his wrist. "You are not touching that child." Jo seethed dangerously.

"And how are you gonna stop me, Jo?" Chace challenged.

"This." Jo said, before punching him full on in the face. Normally she wasn't prone to act of violence or making scenes in public, but, as witness would later agree, Chance had sought her out and actively tried to cause a confrontation. He just hadn't counted on anyone fighting back.

Pulse, due the fact that for reason this incident should make obvious, no one particularly liked Chance, and weren't app to try to help him in anyway.

Charlie came over and gathered everyone up. "Come on, let's go." She said guiding them all away to the other side of the store.

They rode home in silence.

"Are you guys okay?" Charlie called back to the boys at one point. It was the fifth time one of them had asked it since the incident.

"I'm okay." Dean spoke up, almost uncertainly.

"What about you, Sam?" Charlie asked.

Instead of answering Sam asked, "Charlie, why was that man so mean?"

Charlie was at lost for words, but Jo spoke up. "Some people are just like that honey. No one knows why."

Charlie turned to look at her wife. "Are _you_ okay?"

"Yeah," Jo said, "Just a part of my life I never wanted to revisit." After a moment she added, "I'm fine, really."

When they arrived home, Jo was suddenly exhausted. After putting up the groceries, which they still bought because they already gathered them, she walked into the bedroom and practically threw herself on top of bed, closing her eyes.

That was when a tiny voice asked, "Jo?"

Jo sat up, opening her eyes and found Sam standing at the foot of the bed. "Hey, Sammy, what's up?"

"Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, baby, I'm just tired, all of the sudden." Jo answered.

"Can I take a nap with you?" Sam asked, deucing that was what Jo was trying to do.

Jo chuckled. "Sure, little guy." She gestured with her arm. "Get up here."

Sam crawled up onto the bed snuggled next to Jo. Soon the pair were both fast asleep.

Meanwhile, Charlie was sitting down at the table with a cup of coffee, inhaling the scent deeply.

That was when Dena walked in. "Charlie," He spoke up, "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, bud." Charlie answered, gesturing to the chair next to her, "Sit down."

Dean sat down, starting a staring contest with the floor. "I understand if you want to send us back after today, but- "He found the courage to look up at Charlie, "Could you just send me back and keep Sammy? Please? I don't want him to wind up somewhere bad, and today was my fault. Sammy's not bad, really he's not."

Charlie sputtered, sending a few drips of coffee flying across the room. "Why would think we would send _either_ of you back?"

"Because you said that day at the place you found us you only wanted one." Dean explained softly.

Charlie froze for a moment as she processed what was being said. At least she said, "Have you been worried we might send you back this whole time?"

Dean didn't respond, looking terrified.

"Dean, it's okay." Charlie assured him, "You can be honest with me, I won't be mad."

At last Dean nodded.

Charlie let out a shuttering breath. The poor little boy! To be walking on eggshells this entire time. Charlie stood up, saying, "Come on, let's got find Jo and your brother."

The next thing Jo was aware of was someone shaking her. "Jo." Charlie called out gently, "Joanna. Jo, wake up."

Jo's eyes fluttered opened to find Charlie staring down at her gravely.

"Babe, what's up?" Jo asked, concerned, sitting up carefully as not to wake Sam.

"We need to call a family meeting. "Charlie responded, "Something's been going on that we didn't know about."

Charlie told Jo about what she and Dean had talked about. They formed a plan of action and then woke Sam. They needed him in on this conversation too.

They gathered everyone in the living room and Jo began, "Alright, so, it has been brought to my attention that you, Dean, thought there was a chance that we might send your back to trader's."

Dean was looking down again.

"Dean," Jo began, "I need you to look at me, honey. I need you both to look at me."

Dean raised his head and Sam turned to look at Jo.

"That is _never_ going to happen." Jo declared firmly, "Sure, you're going to get in trouble, that's what little boys do to a reasonable extent, and yes, when that happens we will have to discipline you, but nothing you could do would _ever_ make us send either of you back to that place. Do you understand that?"

Both boys nodded. Jo was very convincing.

"Good." Jo said, reaching out and stroking Dean's hair, then Sam's. "Now, I know we can't replace your parents, so we're not even going to try that, but, you have to know, we do love you."

"We love you too." Sam spoke up.

Jo heart swelled and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"Alright," Charlie spoke up, "This is getting all too sappy. Now that we got that clear up, why don't you two go and play."

As they headed for their room, Sam turned around, "You wanna play too?"

Jo and Charlie exchanged looks than Jo said, "Sure guys."

The four wound up and in the boys', room working in the coloring books they had bought, and in that moment, something happened. They started to really feel like a family.

 **AN: This is the end of the line for now folks, but the first sequel should be up next Saturday. Thank you for everyone who took time to read this. I hope you enjoyed it.**


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